Overview

The European Commission's cooperation with Kyrgyzstan and other countries in
Central Asia is based on a multi-annual regional cooperation strategy which
takes the situation and needs of each country into account. The Regional
Strategy Paper for Assistance to Central Asia (2007-2013) foresees an
investment of €719 million for regional programmes and country-based
projects.

In the Kyrgyz Republic, EC cooperation focuses on social and economic
development and support for state and administrative reform, while regional
programmes prioritize cooperation in the field of energy and transport,
environment, education, security and stability.

Since 1991, more than 500 projects amounting to more than €130 million were
funded by the EU to support Kyrgyzstan directly. For the period of 2011-2013 an
annual average of €17 million is foreseen. These funds are allocated to the
three sectors jointly identified as priorities, namely Social Protection,
Education and Good Governance.

In addition, the European Commission fosters exchanges with and among
institutions whose development is crucial to the establishment of an
economically, socially and intellectually thriving democratic society: research
institutes, universities, private sector and civil society. Under the Non-State
Actors in Development Programme (NSA), the European Instrument for Democracy
and Human Rights (EIDHR) and several other thematic programmes such as
Investing in People and Environment, European NGOs have teamed up with their
Kyrgyz partners to help improve living conditions and promote democracy and
human rights.

With the launch of the first Instrument for Stability (IfS) projects in
2008, the European Commission has considerably intensified its work in the area
of conflict prevention, crisis management and peace building.